Railway-ditcher.



No. 647,|os. rammed Apr. m, |900.

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RAILWAY DITCHER.

v (Application filed Apr. 26, 1899.) (No Model.)

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-No.647,|oa. y Patented Apr. lo, |900.

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RAILWAY BITCHEE.

v (Application led Apr. 26, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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STATES 4PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM OBRYAN, OF NEWPORT, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HENRYFLETCHER, OF VICKSBURG, MISSISSIPPI.

RAI LWAY-DITCH ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 647,108, dated April10, 19.

Application flied April 26, 1899. Serial. N0. 714,614. (N0 model.)

To a/ZZ whom, it may concern;

Be it known that I, WILLIAM OBRYAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Newport, in the county of Campbell and State of Kentucky,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Ditchers;and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompany ing drawings, and to the letters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to excavating; and it consists in a machine fordigging ditches along a roadway, especially a railway. Theserailway-ditchers, so called, are generally mounted upon a platform-car,so that they can be readily moved along the track in the operation ofexcavating the ditch. They are provided with one or more scoops orscrapers suitably mounted upon the carand adjustable in various ways inorder to enable the location of the ditch and its width and depth to bevaried at will. In my machine I preferably provide two scoops, one oneach side of the car, and mount them in such 'a manner that they can beoperated by iiuid-pressure, such as compressed air.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of 'my improvedrailway-ditcher, showing the right-hand scoop housed. Fig. 2 is a halfplan view, partly broken away, 4showing the right-hand scoop ready touse. Fig. 3 is an end elevation, partly broken away, showing theright-hand scoop housed and the left-hand scoop in use.

The platform-car shown in the drawings is of the usual construction,comprising sills A, fiooring B, and trucks C. At convenient points onopposite sides of the car are located posts D, preferably channel irons.A top plate E connects the posts at their upper ends, while their lowerends depend below the sills of the car and are connected by across-girder F. The top plate and the girder are preferably ofchannel-iron and their ends project out beyond the sides of the car.Intermediate posts D', braces G, and knees or brackets H may be used tostrengthen the upright transverse framework thus constructed.

On the projecting ends ot' the girder F are erected upright cylinders I,which are also secured to the posts D. The cylinders are long enough togive the required vertical movement to the ditching-scoops. In eachcylinder is a piston whose piston-rod K passes up through a guide L inthe end of the top 'plate E. A laterallyeextendiug boom M is pivotallysecured to each piston-rod at about cured to the hanger and serves tosuspend the scoop R, which is a rectangular metallic box having its topand its front end open. The

' bottom of the scoop is hinged at the front end and is held up at therear end by a catch r, so that it can be released to dump the contents.An uprightscraper R maybe hinged to one or both sides of the scoop andis provided vvith an adjustable brace r', so that it can be set out atan angle to scrape earth from the ends of the ties or the side oftheroadway.

A heavy bracket S is hinged or otherwise fastened to the side of the carnear its front end, and on this bracket is supported a bar S', which isarranged to slide in collars s on the bracket. A set-screw 3/ clamps thebar atany desired point. The outer end of the bar is suitably formed toengage with a tongue R2, which is secured to the front end of thescoopR. A diagonal brace T is hinged to the car near the cylinder I, itsouter end havving an eye to permit a pin t to connect it with one of aseries of holes in the bar. When not in use, the bar and the brace canbe swung in alongside the car or unshipped and stowed on board. l

An air-drum U is secured upon the car, provided with pipes andcouplings. for con- Ico 2 ergios necting it with the train-pipe of anair-brake system. A pipe u., controlled by a stop-cock u, leads to athree-way cock V, by means of which the air can be admitted to thecylinder I below the piston through a pipe 'u2 or allowed to escapetherefrom.

A frame of angle-iron W is erected on the car, supporting a roof w andends tu. The sides of the car may be left open, if desired, and must beso at the front portion of the car in order to permit the scoops to beswung in under the roof, which has a notch 1122 to receive the rod P.The booms are shorter than the distance from the cylinders to the endsof the car.

It will be seen that the piston-rod, boom, and lift constitute a derrickfor handling the scoop. Its operation is as follows: Let the scoop behoused, as shown in Fig. l. In this position it can be readily swung outby hand until it stands as shown in Fig. 2. The trolley enables thescoop to be adjusted in and out along the boom tothe desired point. Theair is then allowed to escape from the cylinder I, lowering the scoopinto the ditch, as shown in Fig. 3. The bar S is run out the yproperdistance and the brace T is secured to it. The tongue R2 of the scoop isfastened to the bar and the machine is ready for use. When the car ismoved forward, the bar drags the scoop along through the earth, and whenthe scoop is full air is admitted to the cylinder and lifts tlie scoop,which can then be swung aside and dumped.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

I. A ditching-machine, comprising a rail- Way-car, 011e or more uprightcylinders secured thereon near the middle of the car, and dependingbelow the car-floor, a piston and a piston-rod for each cylinder, a boomsecured to each piston-rod and shorter than the distance from thecylinder to the end of the car, a trolley supported on each boom, ascoop suspended from the trolley, and a' reservoir' for compressed aircarried on the car, and connected with each cylinder. I

2. The combination with a railway-car, of two upright cylinders onopposite sides of the same, a piston in each cylinder, a derricksupported on each piston, means for supplying duid-pressure to bothcylinders, a scoop supported by each derrick and adjustable thereon, anda bar projecting from each end of the car and connected with the scoopon that side.

3. A ditching-machine, comprising a railway-car, a scoop, means mountedon said car for raising and lowering said scoop by fluidpressure, abracket hinged to the car, a sliding bar carried on the bracket, adiagonal brace hinged to the car and adjustably connected with the bar,and connections between the bar and the scoop.

4. In a ditching-machine, a car having an upright framework composed ofposts, a top plate and a bottom girder, upright cylinders supported onthe girder, and piston-rods pass ing through guides in the top plaie,substantially as described.

5. In a ditching-machine, a car having upright cylinders, piston-rodstherefor, booms supported on said rods, scoops suspended from saidbooms, a framework, and a roof supported thereby, said roof havingnotches to receive the rods when the scoops are swung inboard,substantially as described.

6. A scoop provided with a scraper hinged to one side thereof.

7. A scoop provided with a scraper hinged to one side thereof, and anadjustable brace for said scraper.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

VILLIAM OBRYAN.

Vitnesses:

SOL BLONDHEIM, N. A. IIAMMAN.

